Adjustable trolley-wheel fork



n. M. FOWLER. ADJUSTABLE TROLLEY WHEEL FORK. APPLICATION FILED AU-G.28, 1920.

1,384,458. v Patented Ju1 12,1921.

* liliiillll /ym/% 7m WITNESSES. l/VI/EA/TOR UNITED STATES PATENT omce. f

nAvrD M. FOWLER, or rnimn H Urn, INDIANA, AssreNon or O E-HALF TO ROBERT E. cA'roN, or 'rnrmn HAUTE, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE TROLLEY-WHEEL FORK. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 12,

Application filed August 28, 1920. Serial No. 406,699.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I,-DAvIn M. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in an Adjustable Trolley-Wheel Fork, of whichv the following is a full specification.

My invention relates to that class of trolley-wheel forks, which are used to mount and hold a trolley-wheelupon therend of trolley-poles, for street cars and the like; and the objects of the invention are, first, to provide a trolley-wheel fork which will automatically hold the wheel supported thereby, atall times in contact with the trolley-wire; second, to provide a device which will automatically engage and pass any obstruction such as a cross wire or switch and restore the trolley-wheel to the wire after passing such obstruction; third, to provide a device whichwill meet all Ohstructions and protect and restore to the trolley-wire the trolley-wheel carried thereby, whether the same be traveling forward or backward, without the necessity of reversing the trolley-pole upon which 'it is mounted; and fourth, to provide a device which will be economical in structure and at the same time substantial andof maximum life and which will insure a maximum ofsafe'ty to the wiring system and the car equipment, and which will obviate the necessity of all extra equipment such as trolley-reclaimers and the like.

These objects I attain by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a view of the side of the fork, and showing by dotted lines the various positions which the trolley-wheel may assume.

Fig. 2, is a front view of the device. Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The letter A indicates the fork, which consists of two side-plates a, adapted to receive between the same, the trolley-whee1 b, and which extend downward and form a bifurcated shank 0, the two arms of which are joined together at their lower ends in the form of a ferrule-like socket d, adapted to receive the extreme end of the trolleypole e.

The side-plates a, are broadened and extend beyond the trolley wheel 6 upon each side, as shown in Fig. 1. :The letter 7 indicates a semi-circular orifice which is cut through each of said side-plates a, and an upwardly projecting bearing-plate g, integral with the side-plates, is perforated centrally and adapted to serve as a,pivotbearing for the adjustable lever 'h,'hereinafter described. The letter 2' indicates asegmentlike slot which extends from one side of each side-plate to the other side thereof, and having for its center of curvature, the center of the pivot j, of said lever h. a

The adjustable lever 7L, consists of a flat plate m, which is perforated centrally to receive the pivot which projects therethrough from the bearing-plate g, and which is further perforated to receive the projecting ends of the axle m of the trolley-wheel Z), said axle being supported thereby immediately above the pivot The lever Z1. extends downward and forms an arm a, which is perforated at the lower end'to receive'the end ofa bolt 10, which bolt extends transversely across the fork A, below the trolley-wheel and projects, at each end through the segment-like slots 11 ofthe side-plates a, andthrough the corresponding arms of the levers h,'to ;which said bolt is attached by means of the nuts 70. Suitiable washers w are placed between thehubs of the trolley-wheel and the inner walls of the fork to provide properspacing ofthe wheel. H I

The letter Q indicates strong finger-like guides, which are integral projections from theupper end of the levers h, and are curved inwardly to a point immediately above the upper edge of the trolley-wheel, respect vely, to prevent the trolley-wire fromslipping between the wheel and the corresponding side-plate, and said guides are angled, I

outwardly, respectively, and thereby form a wide V-shaped gulde-way adapted to straddle the trolley-Wire and guide the same into other end of which is attached to" the, middle i of the bolt 0; andsaid spring serves to exert a tension upon said bolt o and therebyhold the guides g in their normal position and to i hold the trolley-wheel in normal position against the trolley-wire u.

When the trolley-wheel strikes an obstruc tion like a cross Wire or other object, it bears against such object and is thereby forced downwardly and revolved upon the pivot j,

incidentally depressing the axle of the trol ley-wheel through the arcof the semi-cir- .7 cular orifice 7, thereby carrying the trolley wheel below and past the obstruction. When the obstruction is safely passed the spring 8 restores the trolley-wheel to its normal position against the trolley-wire.

. Inasmuch asthe axle of the trolley-wheel and the bolt 0 which connects the two lower ends of the lever arms a, are free to move in either direction within their respective slots or orifices f and 2', it is apparent that the trolley-wheel will so pass any obstruction equally well, when going either forward or backward. T r

The advantages claimed for my invention oversimilar'devices used prior hereto consist, inthe automatic depression and replacement of the trolley-wheel within the fork itself, when obstruction is met and the inci-.

dental avoidance of the depressionand release of the trolley-pole, the avoidance of the necessity of reversing the trolley-pole when 7 it is desired to reverse the direction of the car, and theeconomy and safety provided bythe automaticadjnstment of the trolleywheel made possible. i c i i a Having described my invention, itsstructure, operation and advantagegwhat I claim as newand useful and desire to secure by Letters; Patent, is

'1. A trolley-wheel? fork comprising two sideplates,ja bifurcated shankfand a fer- Y rule-like socket, said side-plates being perfinger-like guides integral with and project-j forated by semi-circular =slots or orifices, adapted to receiveand guide the axle of the trolley-wheel and a bolt adapted to connect the guide-levers, respectively, bearing-plates integral with said side-plates and adapted to support pivots upon which a pair of guide-levers revolve, a guide-lever; mounted pivotally upon the outer side of each sideplateand adaptedito receive-and eccentrically guide the axle of a trolley-wheel sus pended between said side-plates, a pair of ing upwardly :from said guide-levers, re-

adapted to receive the end of a trolley-pole,

a pair of rotating levers, pivotally attached to the corresponding side-plates and adapted to support and eccentrically move the trolley-wheel, apair of finger-like guides integral with and projecting upwardly from said levers, respectively, a bolt connected pair of arms integral with'and pendent from said levers, :a' bolt mounted between said arms, a spring attached to said arm sup;- -portedbolt, adapted to exert tension upon said bolt andar-msand anchored to a'bolt mounted in the lower portion of .said fork, all substantially as shown and described and for the purposes setforth.

3. In an adjustable trolley-wheelfo-rk, a pair of slotted side-plates, supported by a bifurcated shank and ferrule-like socket, a pair Ofgn'lOVZLble guide-levers,pivotally at tached to said side-plates,bearings insaid sideplates adapted to receive pivots at- 

